Business Administration

Overview

If you’re looking for broader education in business, the business management major at Barton is an ideal choice. Not only will you get a well-rounded education in general business policy and strategy, but you’ll also have the flexibility to pursue a particular area of interest in greater depth. You may even decide to add a second major or a minor such as finance or international business.

Special Features

Special courses like Case Studies in Business allow for in-depth study of a company or industry. After studying the financial, management, and marketing background of the business in class, an extensive field trip lets you experience the organization firsthand.

All classes provide various exercises, such as role-playing, simulations, experiments, group work, and off-campus experiences, that are designed to get you engaged in the material in innovative ways.

Barton’s business faculty offer a level of personal attention unsurpassed by other business programs. Your individual advisor will meet with you at least once every semester to discuss your progress in the program and to work with you on class scheduling.

Many of the School of Business faculty have work experience in their field of expertise and are active in professional organizations on a regional and national basis.

Course Information

Because the major takes a general approach to business, courses cover economics, accounting, marketing, management, business communications, computer information systems, and business strategy. Along the way, you’ll refine your written and oral communication skills, develop your interpersonal skills, and hone your critical thinking and research skills. Finally, a capstone course will help you integrate the knowledge you’ve acquired and apply it to concrete issues in business.

Required courses for the major include:

• Economic, Social, and Business Statistics
• Management Communications
• Legal Environment for Managers
• Principles of Accounting I
• Principles of Accounting II
• Principles of Microeconomics
• Principles of Macroeconomics
• Advanced Microcomputer Applications
• Managerial Finance
• Principles of Management
• Marketing Management

There are also a variety of electives if you would like to pursue a topic in more depth.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

The School of Business grants a variety of endowed scholarships to business majors during their junior and senior years. These scholarships are given to students who excel in the classroom and are active on campus. Some of these scholarships include:

• The Andrews Scholarship Fund, awarded by the business faculty to students demonstrating superior scholarship, leadership in club activities, service, and future promise in their chosen major.
• The Gretchen B. Boyette Endowed Scholarship, awarded to students with financial need who are pursuing a major in the School of Business.
• The Gary F. Singleton Scholarship, awarded to business students on the basis of character, ability, scholarship, leadership, and need.
• The Larry W. Staley Memorial Scholarship, given to handicapped students and business students with financial need.
• The C. Buren Williford Family Scholarship, awarded to a full-time student pursuing a degree in the School of Business.

In addition to these endowed scholarships, Barton has established scholarships for freshmen who were active in their high school chapters of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA).

Internships

Through an internship course, you can gain invaluable experience working in a field related to your career goals. Together with a faculty sponsor, you’ll select a location and define the objectives of the internship. Then, an on-site supervisor and your faculty sponsor will guide you through the job, which ensures that you gain insight as well as practical experience. In many instances, these internships lead to full-time positions with the hosting business.

Recent examples of internships held by Barton business majors include:

• ARAMARK
• BB&T
• Belk
• Bridgestone/Firestone
• Cardinal Country Club
• Carolina Mudcats
• Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
• Comfort Inn
• Habitat for Humanity
• Hibbett Sporting Goods
• Kitty Hawk Sports
• Louisburg College
• Merck Pharmaceuticals
• Merrill Lynch
• Nomaco, Inc.
• North Carolina Baseball Museum
• Novo Nordisk
• Physicians East
• Pitt Memorial Hospital
• Red Cross
• Standard Commercial Tobacco Company
• WakeMed
• Whitman Properties Inc
• Wilson Champer of Commerce
• Wilson County Department of Social Services

Career Opportunities

A degree in business administration offers unlimited career potential. Because you have a solid understanding of business theory backed by practical experience, you’ll enter the job market as a strong applicant.

The degree is also the perfect foundation for further education. Some students decide to earn a Master of Business Administration or a graduate degree in a related field. Others choose to go to law school. Recently, our students have been accepted to programs at:

• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• North Carolina State University
• East Carolina University
• Virginia Commonwealth University
• University of Tennessee

Clubs and Organizations

Students in Free Enterprise promotes economic and business education, and engages in activities that demonstrate the importance of the free enterprise system. Barton’s chapter has won several awards at the annual regional competitions throughout the years.

Phi Beta Lambda is a national association that brings business and education together through programs and services in which students, educators, and business people learn about one another. The Barton chapter has won numerous awards at both the state and national level, and is generally recognized as an outstanding student organization at Barton.